There’s just so much out there…..

Christmas finds us still in Nashville. Today is the official start of winter but we have been battening down the hatches. We are expecting some bad weather—lots of rain and potential for tornadoes–due to a weather system coming through. We will keep the weather radio tuned in for sure.

Stormy weather brewing….

We took cover in the campground shelter when this came through. Tornado warning was sounded.

While it is rather balmy and unseasonably warm as I write this, I have been busy bringing a little ” Christmas cheer”into our little LuLu home.

I had Kevin get the holiday bin out of the “storage shed” ( Hank’s cargo bed) and proceeded to decorate away! In the past it would have taken me days and days to accomplish that but I had it all done, start to finish, in about 30 minutes…more time to enjoy another glass of eggnog I say.

…the stockings were hung with care

…with visions of sugared Milk-Bones dancing in their heads

…in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there

New LED “accent lighting”

Earlier in the week when it was cold and dreary outside, I thought I should warm things up inside by doing a little baking. So in the spirit of making merry, I fired up LuLu’s “Easy Bake Oven” ( just kidding, it’s almost full-sized), put on some Christmas carols, tied the apron on and proceeded to measure, mix, chop and pour. I made several dozen Oatmeal Raisin cookies and Peanut Butter Blossom cookies, as well as my mom’s Cranberry Orange Bread. I have to say it was challenging with such limited counter space but the end result was worth the effort. Even though Kevin wanted to keep all the cookies for himself, I thought he should take some to share with the guys at work. He told me it was like throwing a handful of corn out to a barnyard full of chickens. I think the lure of homemade cookies might have had something to do with the extra quick response by the crew when Kevin found some hazardous leaks too.

My workspace

Cranberry Orange loaves cooling under “The Tree”

The cookie monsters

I did finish the monk’s cloth afghan I was making for Kevin–just in time for Christmas. I really enjoyed making it and will start on another one soon, this one will be for me.

Monk’s cloth afghan – Kevin’s Christmas gift – Shhhh….

It is 72° right now which is more like a Florida Christmas than what you might expect to find in Tennessee at this time of year. We have had some roller coaster winter type weather though. Earlier in the week it was 18° and icy. We are managing to stay warm with extra sweaters, scarves and jackets and I have to say I am enjoying the colder temperatures…just seems more like holiday weather to me.

Kevin and I hope all of you will be making happy Christmas memories with family and friends and I’ll close this post with a little help from one of Nashville’s favorite groups, Alabama….

“By now in New York City, there’s snow on the ground

And out in California, the sunshine’s falling down
And, maybe down in Memphis, Graceland’s all in lights
And in Atlanta, Georgia, there’s peace on earth tonight

Christmas in Dixie, it’s snowin’ in the pines
Merry Christmas from Dixie, to everyone tonight

It’s windy in Chicago the kids are out of school
There’s magic in Motown the city’s on the move
In Jackson, Mississippi, to Charlotte, Caroline
And all across the nation, it’s the peaceful Christmas time